“The situation has gone worse, we do not have a reason for saying anything positive”, told human rights defender, Vardan Harutyunyan, speaking about human rights defense in the Republic of Armenia. Asked what did he imply by saying the situation has gone worse because the RPA members insisted we are in a good condition as compared with Azerbaijan, Vardan Harutyunyan replied: “If we compare us with North Korea, we are in a far better condition. But I would like us to compare our country with France, Germany, Norway, Australia. And there is no need of comparison with Azerbaijan. If they try to compare us with Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, North Korea, it means the situation is so bad that they try to find some arguments in this way. This speaks of a bad situation.”
To the question in which fields people are the most unprotected in Armenia, Mr. Harutyunyan replied: “When people clash with the state – starting from district administrations, municipalities, social services, ending with courts. In all those fields, where a citizen meets the breaking and fracturing machine, s/he loses, is not able to win the state machine. They also do not believe they can defend their rights. The people engaged in politics are similarly unprotected in the Republic of Armenia. They appear in prisons, detentions, their political activity is being hindered.”
Vardan Harutyunyan insisted in the Republic of Armenia, political prisoners have existed and continue to exist and it is the biggest shame on us. The authorities often speak of human-centered policy, programs, announce that the human is the highest value in the Republic of Armenia, which is stipulated in the Constitution. As stated by Mr. Harutyunyan, in however bad situation the country is from that perspective, the high announcements on that are more in number, in Azerbaijan and North Korea encompassed: “In normal countries, where human rights are defended, the country is social, in those countries there is no need of such announcements. There are regular reports, there is no need in paying serious attention to them.”
Hripsime JEBEJYAN
